Saturday 21 December 2013

Kingfisher shows well at Arundel WWT

Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
On Wednesday morning we had the final conservation work party at Heyshott this yearNeil, Mark and Katrina joined me and we enjoyed Murray Downland Trust hospitality with mulled wine, mince pies and sausages. Afterwards I visited the Arundel WWT. I went again yesterday when the sky was blue and the light good. There were many species of wildfowl and other birds in the reserve: Black-headed Gull, Blue Tip, Canada Geese, Common Pochard, Common Snipe, Coots, Cormorant, Gadwall, Lapwing, Mallard, Moorhens, Mute Swans, Shelducks, Shovelers, Song Thrush, Teal, Tufted duck, Wigeon. A Buzzard overhead flew overhead yesterday and I saw a Kingfisher four times. I also spotted clumps of Oyster Mushrooms for the first time.
Heyshott work party:

Katrina feeding the fire

the area we cleared
Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
Common Pochard, Aythya Ferina
female Gadwall, Anas strepera
male Gadwall, Anas strepera
Lapwings (Peewits), Vanellus vanellus
Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos
Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus and Coots, Fulica atra
One Coot swam aggressively over to the Moorhen, which was feeding on the bank. There was a stand-off, then the second Coot came over and joined in. The Moorhen stood tall. The Coots then swam off, probably whistling as if they didn't know what all the fuss was about.

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus
Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus
Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
Shovelers, Anas clypeata
Teal, Anas crecca
Teal, Anas crecca
male Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
female Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
Wigeon, Anas penelope
Wigeon, Anas penelope
Buzzard, Buteo buteo
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago
Four Snipe flew from another island to this one.
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
Five Cormorants dried themselves on the island
Gadwall, Anas strepera
Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
spot the Kingfisher in flight
Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
Lapwing (Peewit), Vanellus vanellus
Lapwing (Peewit), Vanellus vanellus
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
Mute Swan, Cygnus olor




Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos
female Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula

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